October 29, 2026
Mr. Mullin introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to promulgate regulations establishing metrics, goals, and minimum requirements with respect to the delivery of wireless emergency alerts, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Reliable Emergency Alert Delivery Integrity Act of 2026
or the READI Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Wireless emergency alerting capabilities
(a) Metrics, goals, and minimum requirements
(1) Regulations required
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission, in consultation with any relevant Federal, State, local, or Tribal agencies, shall promulgate regulations establishing—
(A)
metrics to measure performance with respect to the delivery of wireless emergency alerts, including with respect to speed, reliability, and overshoot;
(B)
specific, measurable goals with respect to the delivery of wireless emergency alerts; and
(C)
minimum requirements with respect to each metric established under subparagraph (A) that participating providers shall meet, which shall be not less stringent than the level of performance demonstrated with respect to such metric in the most recent test of wireless emergency alerts conducted or overseen by the Commission before the promulgation of such regulations.
(2) Assessment of certain capabilities
The regulations promulgated under paragraph (1) shall provide for the assessment of capabilities for meeting the goals established under subparagraph (B) of such paragraph, such as enhanced geo-targeting, expanded alert message length, multi-lingual alerts, and device compatibility.
(3) Data collection and reporting by participating providers
The regulations promulgated under paragraph (1) shall require participating providers to collect and report to the Commission, on a schedule and in a format prescribed by the Commission (but not less frequently than annually), data with respect to the delivery of wireless emergency alerts that is sufficient to assess whether such providers are meeting the goals and minimum requirements established in such regulations.
(4) Annual reporting by commission
Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Commission promulgates the regulations required by paragraph (1), and not less frequently than annually thereafter, the Commission shall publish on the website of the Commission information regarding whether participating providers are meeting the goals and minimum requirements established in such regulations.
(5) Review and updating of regulations
Not later than 5 years after the date on which the Commission promulgates the regulations required by paragraph (1), and not less frequently than every 5 years thereafter, the Commission, in consultation with any relevant Federal, State, local, or Tribal agencies, shall—
(A)
review the metrics, goals, and minimum requirements established in such regulations;
(B)
update such regulations with new or revised metrics, goals, and minimum requirements, to the extent the Commission determines appropriate based on the review conducted under subparagraph (A); and
(C)
publish the results of such review on the website of the Commission and submit such results to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
(b) Potential for use of advanced translation technologies To provide multi-Lingual alerts
(1) Study
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall—
(A)
complete a study to evaluate whether advanced translation technologies can produce accurate and timely translations of the content of wireless emergency alerts, as assessed by professional translators and data from public comprehension surveys on message translations, both at the source from which such alerts are being sent and on the device on which such alerts are being received, in a manner that is comparable to or better than other methods existing when such study is being conducted; and
(B)
publish on the website of the Commission and submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the results of such study.
(2) Pilot program
If the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1) are positive with respect to 1 or more advanced translation technologies, including due to a possible increase in accessibility and likely comprehension of wireless emergency alerts by the recipient, more precise translations, or a simpler process to create new translations, the Commission shall, not later than 1 year after the date on which the Commission publishes the report under subparagraph (B) of such paragraph—
(A)
complete a pilot program to test such technology or technologies; and
(B)
publish on the website of the Commission and submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the results of such pilot program.
(c) Opt-Out warnings
Beginning on the date that is 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, a participating provider that offers a subscriber the capability of preventing the mobile device of such subscriber from receiving a class of wireless emergency alerts shall, before allowing such subscriber to exercise such capability, ensure that such device—
(1)
displays to such subscriber a notice that contains—
(A)
a plain-language description of such class of wireless emergency alerts, including the types of emergencies for which wireless emergency alerts of such class are issued;
(B)
a link to a website of a Federal agency that contains information about such class of wireless emergency alerts; and
(C)
a statement that, upon exercising such capability, such subscriber will no longer receive wireless emergency alerts of such class; and
(2)
requires such subscriber to affirmatively confirm the intent to exercise such capability.
(d) Enforcement
The Commission shall enforce this section as if this section is a part of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.). A violation of this section, or a regulation promulgated under this section, shall be considered to be a violation of the Communications Act of 1934, or a regulation promulgated under such Act, respectively.
(e) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Commission
The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.
(2) Overshoot
The term overshoot means, with respect to a wireless emergency alert, the percentage of the population that receives such alert that is outside the target area for such alert.
(3) Participating provider
The term participating provider means a provider of commercial mobile service (as defined in section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d))) that elects under section 602(b) of the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201(b)) to transmit emergency alerts.
(4) Reliability
The term reliability means, with respect to a wireless emergency alert, the percentage of the population within the target area for such alert that accurately receives such alert.
(5) Speed
The term speed means, with respect to a wireless emergency alert, the amount of time between when a participating provider receives such alert and when such alert is presented on a mobile device.
(6) Target area
The term target area means the geographic area designated by the originator of a wireless emergency alert for the delivery of such alert.
(7) Wireless emergency alert
The term wireless emergency alert means an emergency alert transmitted by a participating provider under the Warning, Alert, and Response Network Act (47 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.).